Heinrichs Blog

Heinrichs defines rhetoric as the foundation and structure of "argument without anger". According to him, this rhetoric is present in nearly all interactions and is a powerful aspect of the social world.

In the section on Offense, Heinrichs describes the detailed tactics involved in winning an argument. One tactic is to approach an interaction with a focus of getting your way. This requires you to be proactive and have your goal defined prior to engaging in conversation. The three part plan to persuading people is another tactic: stimulate emotions, change the opinion, and inspire action. This is familiar because I have witnessed many effective top leaders at work embody these skills. It is unfamiliar in the sense that I do not utilize this tactic in my own daily life.

These offensive strategies would be particularly useful in management because leaders are trying to quickly translate ideas into action. It is also useful in sales positions in which you are attempting to convince another person to purchase your product.